They traded their bikinis and flip-flops for hammers and hard hats. And instead of riding jet skis or dozing on the sand in the sun, they spent the morning clambering up onto rooftops to lay yard upon yard of starter shingles.

For many Spring Breakers, morning is do-nothing time, a buffer in the party schedule to recover from the previous day's indulgences.
But 188 college students from as far away as Michigan have been rolling out of bed early, donning hard hats, utility...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The procrastinators, the super-busy, and the easily bored in pursuit of a manageable fitness routine may find what they seek in the 10-minute workout.
Experts say what these short bursts of activity, sometimes called exercise...

The treadmill-- or dreadmill -- as some people like to call it -- is one of the best ways to burn calories, says fitness expert Tom Holland. Unlike other pieces of cardio equipment, such as the elliptical machine, the treadmill forces you to completely...

Fitness instructors are putting a spin on a venerable child's toy to help adults get in shape.
The hula hoop traditionally has been used by kids, but it has also become a popular exercise tool for adults who want a low-impact workout that burns calories,...

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If you still think sit-ups will reduce your belly flab, we've got some depressing news: You've fallen for one of the all-time great exercise myths.
Fitness misconceptions are rampant, in part due to misleading infomercials, but also because scientific results are mixed on some commonly held beliefs. Meanwhile, what works for one person doesn't necessarily benefit another.
Some fitness myths are harmless half-truths. Others, however, scare people away from working out or lead to injury. The spot-...

Can you wobble your way to buns of steel?
The popularity of "toning" shoes, whose unstable soles require you to work muscles harder to stay balanced, suggests consumers are banking on it.
Sales of toning shoes, which cost from $70 to upwards of $200 and have enlisted celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Wayne Gretzky to tout their fitness benefits, soared to $736 million in 2010 from $145 million the year before thanks to the entry of more than a dozen brands into the market, according to market research...

This story by William Mullen orginally ran in the Aug. 17, 1986, Tribune Sunday Magazine.
At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, June 13, three men left the entrance to Navy Pier and began moving west along Grand Avenue. The three were old soldiers, the point men leading tens of thousands of their comrades in Chicago`s belated parade to welcome home the Vietnam veterans. As grand marshal there was the general who had commanded more than half a million men in the war. As honorary parade marshal there was the...